


i'd probably still adore you with your hands around my neck (or i did last time i checked)

by lemonylilies



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste Salt, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alya Cesaire salt, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Chloé Bourgeois Redemption, Crack and Angst, Future romantic relationships, Félix Being a Jerk, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth Tries, Hurt Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Idk you decide, Light Angst, Lila Rossi salt, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Deserves Better, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Deserves Happiness, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Transfers Schools, Marinette Dupain-Cheng-centric, Multi, Protective Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug), Slow Burn, Thirsty Marinette Dupain-Cheng, abuse of em dash, because she deserves it, can you tell who my favourite character is, complete butchering of the french language and educational system, felix - Freeform, for future purposes, fuck the good parent gabriel agreste thing actually, i feel like i need that to be tagged here, i haven't turned in so many assignments on google classroom, i love the boy but i make him suffer here so hah, kind of, no beta we die like the excellent student i used to be, non-regular post schedule, okay maybe not light, to be a better parent or human, you're right it's
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 18:48:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29440695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lemonylilies/pseuds/lemonylilies
Summary: "Blond people are evil," Marinette quietly grumbled, jaw clenched and eyebrows scrunched in not-so-subtle frustration, "they always are.""You know I can hear you, right?" Félix deadpanned, green eyes locked onto their target and scowled as another person stepped into the room, "Now stop complaining. We have a deal, don't we? I'll keep your little secret if you help me with mine.""I thought I'd help you prank someone or hide a body, not spy on Gabriel-freaking-Agreste behind a bush near his mansion just because you think he's some supervillain—""You'd rather hide a body?""I'd literally rather do anything other than watch Gabriel Agreste make out with his assistant after crying over his missing wife."
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug (one-sided), Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Chloé Bourgeois & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Félix Graham de Vanily, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Kagami Tsurugi, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug's Parents, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Original Character(s), Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Quantic Kids, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Tikki, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Comments: 16
Kudos: 129





	1. ab hinc

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to this dumpster fire (ヾ;￣▽￣)ヾ! I present to you, a fanfic borne from hours of crying over missing assignments and ones I have yet to even start. Hardly the first one I've ever written, but perhaps it is one I will actually dedicate my time to (•᷉ुε ू•᷈,). Enjoy (*′☉.̫☉)!

Tikki wasn't worried about Marinette. She was excited, yes, at the prospect that her little bug was going to attend a school that would further propel Marinette's dreams forward—in fact, she was even _ecstatic;_ this dream school that some teens could only dream of entering was her chosen’s reality.

She was all those things and more, but worried? Absolutely not; Tikki fully believed—and had seen firsthand—that Marinette could overcome any challenge that stands in her way. What was going to an excellent new school, with excellent new classmates, and excellent new teachers compared to battling supervillains daily?

If anything, Tikki was worried at how Marinette would completely blow everyone's minds away with her talent and experience in fashion; she was concerned that the boys would go into cardiac arrest at her charm, wittiness, and cute, doll-like face.

 _"Marinette has only ever wanted one boy's attention in the past, and look at how that ended,"_ The divine being gloomily reminded herself. She shook her head, antennae swaying from side to side with the motion, in an attempt to rid herself of those thoughts, those memories. _"No,"_ Tikki thought, determined, _"Marinette will have a new beginning; she'll start a new chapter in her new school, and there's no reason for me to be thinking of her two-faced, back-stabbing, cruel classmates, and it's not fair to her, it's not fair, it's not_ **_fair—"_ **

"Tikki, is everything okay? You...you haven't touched your cookies yet." Marinette asked worry etched on her face as her bluebell eyes scanned the blank-faced kwami from head to toe. She reached out a thumb and warmly caressed Tikki's cheek, "You're crying," she pointed out, wiping away a small teardrop that escaped her kwami's big, blue eyes, "do you want to talk about it?" Marinette gently smiled, inviting Tikki to talk. Marinette hates it when people don't let her talk, don't let her _explain herself._

 _("Why would you say that to Lila, Marinette?" Alya had cried, wiping away furious tears, eyebrows scrunched up in bewilderment. What was most bewildering about the situation to Tikki, though, was that Alya was angry. How dare_ **_she_ ** _be angry when Marinette was standing right there, her fists clenched in an attempt to reel in her tears, her misery, words failing her when they've never had before in situations like these.)_

"Nothing's wrong, Marinette," Tikki eventually replied, shooting her a watery—but nevertheless bright—smile, "I'm just...I'm just so _happy_ that you're getting this opportunity. Jagged Stone even recommended you to the headmistress! _Jagged Stone!"_ Tikki breathlessly giggled, fluttering around and chirping sounds of happiness.

Marinette chuckled and bit her lip, holding back her own excitement, "I know! I was a little worried when maman asked if he could do it since it's almost impossible to get in without a recommendation of some sorts, but I still can't believe he actually did it!"

Tikki's smile became more genuine, tears nearly dried, and began dancing around the equally-jubilant girl, "Of course he'd do it for his 'favourite little designer'!"

Said "favourite little designer" in question blushed and haphazardly waved her hands around as if she could simply block the compliment with a flick of her wrist, "D-Don't call me that! You know he doesn't actually..." she trailed off, hands coming to cup her cheeks. The blush began to fade away as her previous excitement washed away with it. 

"Tikki..." She began, eyes drooping and tone crestfallen, "do you...ugh, do you think they'll like me? My new classmates?"

The kwami’s eyes widened as a feeling of dread and pity splashed over her like cold water, "Oh, Marinette...I'm sure they'll love you. How could they not?" she asked, flying closer to her chosen's face and gently patting her hand. "Don't you remember what Penny said? She said that when she went there, everyone was really nice! I'm sure you'll feel the same."

"Positive?" Marinette whispered, hands coming down to hang limply in place. Her fingers were numb, and her nails were bitten raw—a consequence of not being able to sleep the night before, her worries consuming her whole, and the memories of her previous school and her classmates _(their betrayal)_ haunted her.

"Positive", Tikki assured, but even her own reassurances weren't enough for her traitorous heart. _"Calm down,"_ she thought, desperately trying to ignore her own concerns and doubts and instead occupy her mind with Marinette's, _"she's been through enough. There's no need for you to put her through more."_

She made the mistake of thinking that her heart and mind would clash as they always do, especially when it came to Marinette. But as her chosen got ready, picked out the new clothes she designed and made and got dressed _(her earrings are there, glowing and reminding Tikki that her little bug, who is not so little anymore, had a duty to perform),_ Tikki couldn't help the thoughts, doubts, and what-ifs that ran through her mind in their usual, harmonious, discord. Her heart began to pound ever-so-slightly faster than normal.

And suddenly, Tikki began to worry.

* * *

_Marinette knocked once, then twice, before a muffled "come in!" was heard through the wooden door. She took a deep breath and turned the knob, poking her head through and scanned the room before bluebell eyes landed on a figure sitting at the front, "Madame Bustier? You asked to see me?"_

_The woman's head shot up in surprise, a frown marring her features before smoothing into a gentle, inviting expression in the presence of her student, "There you are, Marinette! Please, come in," she gestured to the empty chair in front of her, "I wanted to talk to you about something."_

_The dark-haired girl gripped her purse strap hard enough that her knuckles turned white, anxiety and fear coursing through her veins like a serpent, constricting her lungs and made breathing much harder than she remembered. One glance at Tikki gazing up at her with support in her eyes, however, Marinette took a deep breath and nodded. "All right."_

_Once she's taken a seat, Madame Bustier smiled and cleared her throat, "Now, Marinette, I just wanted to ask if you were planning to stay at Françoise Dupont for high school or if you were planning to attend another school?”_

_She could hear Tikki breathe a sigh of relief and reeled her own in at her teacher’s words; at least they weren't going to talk about the...things...Lila has been saying about her, "Oh, um...I don't really know. Most of my friends are planning to stay here for high school. I haven't really put much thought into it, though," she admitted bashfully, an abashed flush rising to her cheeks as Madame Bustier let out a soft chuckle._

_"Yes, I heard that Alya and Nino were staying here. Alix and Nathanael, however, are changing schools. They told me that it was because they wanted to pursue their interests more, which is why I wanted to ask," Madame Bustier paused as she took out a handful of brochures and spread them on the desk, "have you ever considered attending a more technical school? Perhaps one that specialises in fashion?"_

_Bluebell eyes widened almost comically as she took in the names displayed on each brochure. "I—Madame Bustier, these are all really prestigious schools, how would I even get in—"_

_"Why wouldn't you get in?" Madame Bustier interrupted her, tone serious and demanding as Marinette stammered before her. "Am I not talking to the young woman who designed Jagged Stone's album, beloved sunglasses, poster, won a design competition judged by Gabriel Agreste and participated in the making of Clara Nightingale's music video?"_

_"B-But the people who get into these schools are all children of important people! Or—or they've studied under other important people! They’re rich and successful, I...I don't think I'm exactly qualified enough for them." Marinette tried to reason, fists clenched on her lap._

_"Marinette," Madame Bustier calmly assured her flustered student, "I'm not asking you to enroll in either of these schools. All I'm asking is that you consider your options."_

* * *

"—Hello? Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng, is everything all right?" Marinette was snapped out of her reverie and back into the present, staring at the concerned-looking woman sitting somewhat below her.

While trying to remember why she was even talking to the bespectacled woman in the first place, her eyes landed on a piece of paper that she held in her hands.

 _"First-year Form: Fashion and Design Department"_ was printed at the top in elegant, scarlet lettering, "Oh, right! Where am I supposed to turn this in? I remember someone telling me that I had to give this to someone on my first day, but I don’t think they specified exactly who?" Marinette hesitantly recalled, mortified that she was blanking out and making a fool of herself already. Classes haven’t even started yet!

 _"Way to go, Marinette."_ She cheered sardonically, kicking herself for being so absentminded. Marinette would’ve groaned if she didn’t hear the woman talking about something that she, yet again, failed to hear. “I’m really sorry, but could you repeat that last bit, please?”

The woman merely grinned reassuringly and replied, "Just give it to Luciel, he's the tall young man sitting near the statue," with a slender finger, she pointed to a tall figure sitting on a chair and signing forms near the fountain, "he's really nice, so don't be put off by his face. Jeanne gave him a lot of paperwork to finish before classes begin," she explained.

Marinette chuckled, and inclined her head in gratitude, "Thank you!" she exclaimed before fixing her blazer and ran off in the direction of the fountain.

"No problem, dear, and welcome to Lycée Internationale d’Orléans!" She heard the woman chirp, turning around and giving her a small wave.

Marinette knew her luck was bound to run out quickly after that embarrassing incident of completely spacing out earlier, she just didn't anticipate _how_ quickly.

She let out an uncomfortably loud shriek as she collided against another, much taller person, and landed on the cobblestone ground in an awkward heap of pink and paper.

"Oh, dear," Tikki sighed in amusement as she felt her chosen stiffen as realisation dawned upon her.

"My forms! Oh gosh, oh no—" Marinette clambered around in an attempt to salvage both her reputation _(in tatters, at this point)_ and student forms, the forms she was supposed to _turn in any moment now—_

"Here, allow me," A familiar voice rang out, a grey figure kneeling beside her and collecting the various sheets of paper scattered across the stone grounds.

Marinette could only croak a weak "thanks" to the somewhat familiar stranger, standing up and dusting the dirt and leaves off of her pants and blazer. A stack of white paper was thrust in her direction, and she turned around, "Thanks again for the help—"

Her sentence was cut short as she looked, actually _looked,_ at the boy standing before her. His bored and stoic expression was marred with shock as his green, green eyes met her blue ones.

Blond hair. Green eyes. A slimmer face, taller, and lankier than she remembered seeing as Ladybug. And oh, the resemblance to _him_ was so uncanny it gutted her ( _like that one melon her mother cut open during a hot day where Alya was visiting, its juices flowing, trickling down its skin and the knife, and tasted oh so sweet and tart)_. Her heart painfully constricted in her chest, and the familiar serpentine feeling crept up her spine, legs, and neck once more, making her limbs tingle and rendering her fingers numb.

Félix blinked once, then twice, "Mademoiselle...Dupain-Cheng, was it? Adrien’s told me about you," He said, one pale eyebrow raised in question while his mouth turned down in a slight frown.

As similar as they looked, she knew that that frown had been rarely present on the other's _(her former crush’s)_ face. It was always smiles, chuckles and cute dimples. Especially when her father offered him desserts that time them two were playing Ultimate Mecha Strike Three in her bedroom. _(“The cookies are really sweet, Marinette!” it hurts, and oh, she feels like she’s getting gutted again and again)._

"Yeah," She ultimately replied, cutting off her reminiscing and nostalgia over what was not meant to be _(she was here for a new chapter, and by god, she will get one),_ "that's me."

Pushing away her _(sweet, tart, bitter, overflowing)_ memories of Adrien Agreste, she looked at Félix, boring her gaze into the greens and greys of his eyes, and took the stack of forms in his hand, clutching them to her chest, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Monsieur Graham de Vanily."


	2. absit omen.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette is now drowning in an indescribable emptiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello, hello everybody (;ﾞ°´ω°´)! please excuse this one's horrendous tardiness, my lovely bagels, but between losing my chance to get Xiao and the fact that school has been making me sob on the reg, I haven't been able to cope ( ´༎ຶㅂ༎ຶ`). but without further ado, I present to you: chapter two (♡´艸`)!

_ "Why,"  _ The baffled screech of her mind was a stark contrast to her tired and hesitant bluebell eyes as they stared at similarly unsure—if not uninterested—green ones,  _ "why is  _ **_he_ ** _ here?" _

Didn't Adrien say something about his cousin living in London? Why is he in Paris? More importantly, "Why—why are you in this school?" she hoarsely asked, the forgotten stack of papers still tightly caged between nimble fingers as her heart hammered and struggled against its confines of flesh and bone.

_ (Silent, crystal tears slid down her pale, cheeks, leaving wet tracks upon them as they clawed their way to the ground. _

_ "I can't breathe," Her mind wailed, fingers numb and hands trembling by her side. It's as if a hurricane's thundering through her skull and ears like a vengeful god on their warpath. _

_ Blood and tears. Torn flesh and hearts. _

_ She feels her knees go weak and her bottom lip quiver before she bit it hard enough to draw little, scarlet droplets of blood from their cracked, chapped surface. Knuckles white and hands cold and clammy by her sides. She's so tired. _

_ "I thought we agreed to leave Lila alone! Her lies aren't hurting anyone, Marinette, but instead of talking to her calmly, you're just angering her more!" Adrien fumed, handsome face twisted in anger and confusion and green eyes seemingly glowing in the dark shadows of the empty classroom. His perfect eyebrows are furrowed and scrunched as if he was simply unable to fathom the reasoning behind her actions.  
_

_  
As if he was questioning why she had defended herself. _

_ "If you had left her alone, you wouldn't  _ **_be_ ** _ in this position right now!" He continued to berate her in one angered, grating breath. His words, his terrible, terrible words wrapped around her mind and coiled down into her throat like a sickly sweet and sticky syrup, and suddenly, she can't breathe. _

_ Gritting her teeth and fists clenched beside her, the dark-haired girl brokenly whispered into the cold air, "I-I'm sorry...I didn't think she would act this way." _

_ "Don't ladybugs have wings?" She thought uselessly in a pathetic, weak attempt to drown out the sound of her friendships cracking and shattering like glass around her, "Why don't I have any? Wouldn't they be helpful in akuma attacks? Wouldn't they be helpful  _ **_now?"_ **

_ "I'm sorry, Adrien."  
_

_ The hurricane died down, whirling cyclones and roaring thunders dwindling into a mindless, static buzz. _

_ "My fingers are numb," Marinette silently noted as Adrien stomped his way out of the classroom in a blur of white, green and gold.) _

Her vision blurred back into the present, and once again, was she staring at abstract blotches of green and gold. Marinette curled her fingers into a fist in a  _ (weak) _ effort to restore blood flow there, yet the numbing sensation refused to disappear.

_ (The resounding "pop!" of the aluminium cans of pop filled her ears and reminded her of warm, happy summers. Her parents were still working in the bakery, the dark-haired girl being able to see them moving in harmonious whirlwinds of colour behind the glass windows, a result of years, decades, of working together. She swung her legs back and forth as she sat on the cool, metal bench, Tikki happily munching on the piece of sweet, cherry tart she had grabbed on her way to the park.  
_

_ Strawberry flavour gushed down her parched throat and left a fizzy, euphoric buzz in her mouth after a large swig. Marinette sighed in contentment, a naïve wish to forever stay this way stuck in the back of her mind like bubblegum.  
_

_ Alya sat next to her and laughed, a bright, loud one that came right from her belly after Nino said something completely lost to her ears. She drank orange soda. Nino had grape. _

_ As the three friends eventually parted ways and Marinette made the not-so-long trek back to her house, the aftertaste remained. Sweet, almost sickeningly so, strawberry bubbling low in her gut. _

_ The concrete, grass, and stone passed by in a hazy blur to the heroine-in-secret as she bid her parents good night, climbed up the steps to her room and laid in bed, bluebell eyes staring into nothing. _

_ The fizzy buzz didn't leave her mouth, the sweet strawberry taste finally leaving behind a sour and bitter counterpart.) _

Félix tucked a hand into a pocket of his impeccably-ironed, charcoal-coloured slacks while the other picked up a shiny, black, leather briefcase that had been placed on the ground.

"I enrolled here to further establish connections for the business," He answered and took out a single sheet of paper from his briefcase.

"Their business department is chock-full of heirs and heiresses," Félix explained, holding the document before Marinette, where the top clearly stated  _ "First-year form: Business and Management Department",  _ "networking with these people will prove fruitful for future endeavours."

"Oh," Marinette lamely uttered, remembering that Adrien once told her that his aunt is more focused on the administrative aspects of the fashion industry rather than the actual designing part. She twiddled with her fingers in an attempt to strike up more conversation before a shrill and loud ring tore through the stiff and tense atmosphere.  


Félix inclined his head upwards and squinted at the giant clock in the middle of two of the school's towers, "As splendid as this conversation has been, I believe our classes are to shortly commence."

The tall blond whirled around on his heel and began to walk away, lifting a hand in a small, dismissive wave, "So long, Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng."

Bluebell eyes gazed at his departing figure, a sudden weight gently lifted off her shoulder as she let out a breath she wasn't aware she was holding, "Well, that was...something." Marinette sighed, the throbbing in her head slowly beginning to subside and the painful, erratic lurching of her heart relaxing into soft, calm beats.

Her fingers were still numb.

"Psst! Marinette!" An urgent hiss came from her slightly ajar purse and looking down, Marinette could see Tikki madly pointing somewhere with her paws, "Your form!"

Tikki looked on in mild amusement as her chosen let out an embarrassing squawk and ran towards the fountain, "Crap, I have to turn this in!"

_ (Fizzy, numbing, bitterness, sickly-sweet strawberry soured her gut. _

_ She kind of wants to throw up, now.) _

* * *

The dark-haired girl screeched to a halt, nearly toppling over the plastic, foldable table set up near the stone fountain. Marinette panted, hands resting on her knees as she caught her breath,  _ "Damn it, I haven't been this winded since before I became Ladybug,"  _ she lamented.

_ "Then again,"  _ She straightened up from her near-crouch and tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear,  _ "there haven't been many akuma attacks recently. I wonder what Hawk Moth's up to." _

Before she could further explore her curiosity, a deep and cheerful voice called out to her, "Hello! Are you here to turn in your student form?"

Marinette looked up and had to bite back what could've been a damned humiliating gasp. She gulped instead and stared at what had to be the most attractive guy she's ever met,  _ "Well, that's one way to forget about Adrien, I guess,"  _ her traitorous,  _ traitorous  _ mind supplied.

Beautiful, pale, icy-blue irises peered into the depths of her soul; long, tousled, midnight hair; pale skin, and that  _ smile, if she died right now, she would die happy _ —

The wave of  _ (inappropriate, so, so very  _ **_wrong_ ** — _ what was she thinking?!)  _ thoughts flooding her mind was promptly interrupted by a  _ (glorious, melodic _ — _ divine, even)  _ chuckle.

_ "Yes!"  _ She squeaked, seemingly finally remembering the reason she headed here at all, frantically grabbing her forgotten document and swiftly handing it to the boy, who chuckled once more; Marinette felt her soul ascend to the skies _. _

"A million thanks, ma chérie," He grinned, taking the sheet of paper and quickly scanned it, placing it onto a wooden tray along with various other documents. He grabbed the pile and jogged the sheets, aligning them into a neat, organised stack before placing them once more on the wooden tray.

"You're new, right?" He asked Marinette, frost-laden eyes scanning through another document handed to him by a brunette girl before turning around and placing her document in a wooden tray behind him, "I don't remember having seen you before in the collége."

Biting back yet another humiliating noise that she was certain pterodactyls made when in distress, Marinette gripped her backpack and shakily stuttered, "Y-Yeah! I came here because of, um, the fire department—wait no, the fashion department! I meant the fashion department!" she wailed.

_ "Maybe if I flail my arms around and giggle nervously, I could pass it off as cute and endearing,"  _ Her mind proposed, in an attempt to salvage the little that was left of her sanity and reputation that morning,  _ "maybe he likes klutzes?" _

"I've been told our fire department is incredible!" The boy laughed, blowing a lock of obsidian hair that partially blocked his eye before holding his hand up in a mock-salute, "My name's Luciel Delacroix, what's yours? Well, it was on the form, but I'm too tired to pull it out again."

The dark-haired girl smiled and returned his mock-salute, "Well, um, my name's Marinette Dupain-Cheng. It's really nice to meet you."

"Wait, I know you!" 

_ "You what,"  _ Marinette thought, mind already racing through a million scenarios and answers to that question at once.

"You were the girl who designed Jagged Stone's latest album, didn't you! And his Eiffel Tower glasses! Oh—and his poster! I have it framed in my room!"

_ "Oh, thank  _ **_God,"_ ** Marinette would've keeled over in relief had Luciel not grabbed her hands, his stunning smile pelting her mind and soul with glorious, divine light,  _ "Here lies my sanity, I guess." _

"What's your favourite song?  I love _'It's Happening'!_ The way he sang about the different ways people around the world have influenced his music style is just absolutely _marvellous—gah!"_

Marinette startled by the sound of Luciel's startled yelp and the thwacking of a rolled-up newspaper landing on his head.

"What was that for, Jeannie?" the black-haired boy whined, letting Marinette's hands go to glare at the offending party before his glower faltered and wrapped his arms around the newcomer's waist instead, red and pink hues painting the tips of his ears and cheeks, and—

_ ("I-Is he nuzzling her stomach...?" Her mind screamed and howled) _

_ "That  _ was for stopping this poor girl from going to her classes, which, by the way," Jeannie  _ ("Is that actually her name?" Marinette thought)  _ sternly stated, "starts in five minutes."

Jeannie faced her, leaving Marinette a stuttering mess as bluebell eyes landed upon tanned skin, beautiful maroon locks, and fiery, chocolate-brown eyes.

"I-I'm really sorry for disturbing him! I'll just, er, take my leave now?" Marinette fumbled, one hand gripping her backpack while the other was held up in a weak wave, the tip of one foot repeatedly tapping the cobblestone surface below.

Jeannie  _ ("I still don't know what her real name is," Marinette internally groaned)  _ huffed a short laugh and grinned, "If anything, it was this brat that was disturbing  _ you—" _

"I am  _ not  _ a brat!  _ Jeannie!" _

"Have you finished your speech?"

"I—no, ma'am."

"So what do you need to do?"

"Finish my speech, ma'am."

"Finally, we've reached an agreement. How wonderful," Jeannie  _ ("What. Is. Her. Name," Marinette could've screamed)  _ deadpanned, ruffling his hair in a show of affection while Luciel sighed and leaned into her touch, "Overgrown brat," the maroon-haired girl murmured, amusement lacing her voice. 

Marinette could only numbly nod as Jeannie looked her way once more, giving the dark-haired girl a small—but friendly—salute as she grabbed Luciel's arm and dragged the boy—who was still glued to her waist—to another table.

"Marinette, your classes are going to start soon!" She could hear Tikki harshly whisper.

"Oh crap—I can't be late  _ again!" _

* * *

"Um, math class was that way, science is downstairs, English is right here, and— _ gwah!" _ Marinette squawked as she narrowly avoided slamming into the cherry-tinted wooden door that was suddenly mere centimetres away from her face. Heart racing, she carefully pushed the door aside and read the polished, gold plaque that adorned it.

In capital letters neatly engraved into the metal, it read:  _ "Classroom 107: History". _

The girl sighed and carefully tiptoed around the door, poking her head into the classroom and felt a slight sense of dread when she realised that everyone here already knew each other.

A couple of girls stood together in a circle around one table, their happy, excited voices filling the classroom with warmth.

A group of boys at the front of the class were huddled over one boy holding a tablet in his hands before laughter erupted from each one of them.

Marinette awkwardly shuffled around in the entrance before she took a deep breath and headed to the back of the large room, scanning for empty seats before she settled for the one closest to the window.

She took out her notebook and a pencil, deciding that maybe sketching up new designs would help calm her nerves before class actually started.  _ "Oh God, will I have to introduce myself?"  _ Marinette panicked, features set in a slight grimace as her nose scrunched up in distaste and anxiety.  


"Are you new here?" A bright chirp came from her right.

Slowly craning her head to the side, Marinette could've screamed as she stared right at—

_ "Chloé?" _

The blonde girl blinked in confusion before giggling, "Who's Chloé?" she asked before setting her backpack on the floor beside her. The Chloé doppelgänger  _ ("Chlo _ é  _ would  _ **_never_ ** _ giggle like that," Marinette reasoned with herself)  _ scooted closer to her and looked down at her notebook.

"Wow! You're incredible! Are you in the fashion department?" She asked, lifting her head to look at Marinette, bright blue eyes staring at confused ones.

"U-Um, yeah?" Marinette stuttered, the tips of her ears reddening as her cheeks flushed in a rosy hue, "What about yo—"

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I completely forgot to introduce myself!" The blonde shrieked, golden braid swaying as she thrust a hand at Marinette, "My name's Allegra! I'm in the music department!", a sweeter-than-cake smile sat on her face and lifted her cheeks in a charming blush.

_ ("Marinette," She said, holding out half a macaron to the new girl that sat beside her, cheeks pulled into a soft, grateful smile. _

_ The redhead grinned before taking the treat, "Alya.") _

Marinette blinked once, then twice, before sighing at the memory of her former friend  _ (strawberries turned mouldy and fuzzy and  _ **_sour—)_ ** and instead smiled at Allegra, "I'm Marinette. And yes, I'm in the fashion department."

Marinette shook her hand and quickly put her notebook away as the teacher walked in.

After the typical introductions, she saw a piece of paper being subtly slid over to her side. As bluebell eyes read the curvy, colourful writing—Allegra asking her if she would like to join her for lunch—Marinette felt a grin slowly stitching itself on her face and wrote back a short response.

"Sure."

_ (Cake was better than pop, she reasoned, maman and papa make it all the time. Besides, pop hurts my throat sometimes.  
_

_ Surely this one won't go sour?) _

* * *

"Allegra! Over here! Hey, Allegra, are you even looking at me? Allegra—!"

"Claude, shut  _ up,"  _ The blonde viciously hissed, crossing her arms and glaring blue daggers at the tall, blue-eyed boy. Her face softened from its glower as she inclined her head to Marinette, "You're gonna make her think that we're all weird when it's really just  _ you." _

_ "Oh, come on!"  _ Claude yelled, affronted, crossing lean, tan arms across his chest and mouth adorably set in a childish pout, "I'll have you know that my weirdness is unique."

"The only person that's ever said that to you is your mum, and that was only to make you feel better about getting kicked out of the supermarket," Another boy said, chewing his lunch and indifferent to the spluttering boy beside him.

"I remember that," Allegra mockingly chuckled, grabbing Marinette's arm and leading her to the table, "it was because you wouldn't stop making whale noises, right?"

"It. Was. A.  _ Beluga,"  _ Claude spit, face reddening in humiliation as his blue eyes shot lasers at his two friends.

"Whatever," Allegra quipped before her eyes abruptly widened, "Oh, and this is Marinette, by the way! She's in the fashion department!"

The blonde turned around in her seat and swung an arm around Marinette's shoulders, which were shaking as she held in an amused chuckle at her new friend's antics, "She's really nice and cool, so don't scare her off—Claude, I'm looking at you—with your weird," Allegra wiggled her fingers around in the air, "conspiracy theories."

The boy wearing a green hoodie and headphones of matching colour only waved her off and good-naturedly grinned at Marinette, one hand propping his chin up while the other held a fork with long, pasta noodles twirled around it, "I'm Allan and don't listen to her, Marinette. Our theories aren't  _ conspiracies,  _ they're—"

"Truth and _fact!"_ Claude screamed with his mouth full of pasta and sauce, earning him a dirty and disgusted look from Allegra, which he promptly ignored, "Whatever, Allegra! It's practically impossible to deny that Ladybug is actually a high school student!"

If the other three noticed that Marinette had stiffened and hitched her breath, then they didn't say anything, much to her relief.  _ "Alya had always suspected the same, so why am I getting nervous now?" _

_ "Alya never had any concrete evidence, though,"  _ She whispered to herself,  _ "she just hung on Lila's every word and believed it whole-heartedly,"  _ Marinette held back a grimace at the reminder of her failed friendships, knuckles involuntarily clenching on her lap and twisting what fabric they could grasp.  


_ Bubble, bubble, fizz. _

"We've discussed this Claude, she's an  _ adult,"  _ Allan sighed, exasperated as a hand came up to pinch the bridge of his nose, "What kind of student has time to save Paris  _ and  _ turn in assignments at the same time?"

"Well, maybe she's homeschooled?"

"What parent  _ wouldn't  _ notice that their child is a superheroine that practically throws herself into danger?"

"Maybe they're in on it!"

"In on what?" Marinette asked, curiosity getting the best of her as she leaned forward as if they were discussing government secrets. The tense, ramrod line of her spine curving into a more relaxed state as she calmed down  _ (no one can find out her secret—not even Lila had known about that one). _

Claude and Allan looked at each other before turning to her, determination burning in their eyes. The two dramatically leaned in as well, leaving Allegra to roll her eyes in amusement and continue eating her lunch.

Allan looked around, scanning their surroundings for eavesdroppers before rapidly nodding at Claude as if saying that the coast was clear. The taller boy nodded back, and they turned back to Marinette with glittering eyes, almost like a child letting someone in on some playground rumour.

"Well, here's the thing. We think that Ladybug belongs to a family of superheroes!" Claude whispered loudly, his lunch completely abandoned beside him. Allan nodded, a hilariously serious expression stitched on his face, yet the slight twitch of his lips told Marinette that he was just amused as she was by their friend's antics.

Allan and Marinette's lunches laid beside them as well, the three friends excitedly swapping  _ (horrendously incorrect, if you asked Tikki)  _ theories back and forth, with the occasional input from Allegra.

* * *

"M'lady, is something wrong? You haven't even laughed at my jokes  _ once  _ tonight. I'm hurt, truly," The blond daintily put a hand  _ (paw?)  _ on his chest as he swooned like a helpless maiden, nearly falling off of the roof if it wasn't for his quick reflexes and a whip of his baton, sending him flying through the crisp night air, landing gracefully on his feet.

Ladybug rolled her eyes and held out a scarlet-clad hand out to her partner, the other taking it and swooping up before leaning back down and pressing a chaste kiss on her knuckles, a flurry of amused giggles escaping her lips.

"M'lady returns! I was getting worried for a second there," He exclaimed, green eyes scanning their surroundings before crossing his arms across his broad chest, "you were looking kinda sad. Is everything okay?"

She smiled warmly, the corners of her eyes crinkling with fondness as her heart calmed by her partner's concerns, "I'm fine, chaton. Just...just reminiscing over something," she whispered, shuddering as the cool air caressed her skin.

An arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her in close to a warm body, "Maybe we should call it a night. Paris is safe for the moment being, m'lady, you should head home before it gets too cold," he murmured, pulling her in closer and snuggling close to her.

"I'm fine, Chat."

"Still, what kind of partner would I be if I left m'lady freezing in this horrendous weather?"

"It's actually pretty nice, right now," She remarked, bluebell eyes admiring the night skylines of Paris, city lights twinkling below her as they stood on the Eiffel Tower.

She felt powerful like this, invincible, almost.

"Well, I, unfortunately, have to head back, beloved," He mourned, letting her go as he twirled the silver baton in his hand, "I don't think my teachers would appreciate yet another case of tardiness."

"Oh?" Ladybug mused, eyebrow raised in amusement as Chat Noir sheepishly scratched the back of his neck, "I didn't take you for an irresponsible student, chaton."

"I'm not irresponsible! Just—a little busy is all."

"Uh-huh."

"I'm serious!"

Laughter filled his hearing, and Chat Noir's ears perked up in joy and adoration as his lady giggled merrily. He craved nights like these,  _ adored them.  _ They were just mere children at this moment, friends, and something more if he dared to hope, to _dream._  


Not Paris' heroes.

Not Adrien Agreste, famous model and son of the acclaimed designer, Gabriel Agreste.

Just Ladybug and Chat Noir. The lady and her chaton.

A shrill beeping noise coming from his ring tore the joyful atmosphere like paper, reminding the blond hero that all good things must come to an end. He wistfully sighed, wishing nothing more than to forever stay this way with his partner, beautiful, strong, and ephemeral.

"Well, m'lady, I'm afraid your knight need depart from this here palace," The blond lowly bowed and grabbed her knuckles, pressing one last kiss to them and waved, jumping off of the tower and leaping away into the distance.

Ladybug's hand was held up in a weak wave, sighing as she saw the figure of Chat Noir getting smaller and smaller as the seconds passed by. She wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to shield her body from the chilly night wind. Grabbing her yoyo, she expertly threw it and waited for the red disk to wrap around something secure, and when it hooked, she jumped.  


An exhilarating thrill ran through her veins, lungs, and making her eyes water (partially due to the coldness, as well) as she soared through the Parisian skyline, the faint glow of the moon casting eerie, yet beautiful shadows and light across the rooftops of the city. She twisted, turned, and zipped through alleys, empty streets, a beautiful smile adorning her face as she experienced one of her most absolute favourite parts of being a hero.

"Woohoo!" She cheered as her yoyo dragged her up, up, and up until she was suspended in the sky, the moon behind her and framing her like an angel descended to Earth.

She loved this feeling. She never wanted it to end.

But it did, eventually.

As she passed by the Agreste mansion, shrouded by a blanket of darkness sans the two lights at the front gate, Ladybug saw something that caught her eye, halting her in her wingless flight. The heroine softly landed on a roof, heart still rapidly beating in her chest, and silently crept over to the edge, slowly crouching down as she squinted at a suspicious figure leaning on a wall, one hand in their pocket while the other scrolled through a phone.

Dark hair.

Tall.

Dark clothing.

Nothing that would be serious or concerning if it wasn't for the fact that when a single light turned on in the Agreste mansion, the figure lept, pulled their hood up, and grabbed a pair of binoculars from their bag, crouching down behind a nearby bush as they peered into the recently-lit room.

_ "A stalker?"  _ She wondered, dark eyebrows furrowing in confusion and concern as the mysterious figure took out a large, newspaper sheet and laid it on the ground, a pencil scratching across the surface as they drew or wrote something her eyes couldn't quite catch. 

As the dark-haired heroine began to run over a million scenarios in her mind, ranging from a deranged stalker to the Gorilla's secret and scorned lover, the figure grabbed the paper, neatly folded it into a square and placed it back into their bag before calmly walking away into the night.

_ "Not on my watch,"  _ She quietly growled, standing up from her crouch on slightly shaky knees and silently prowled across the rooftops like a predator stalking its prey. If they were a stalker, she couldn't just let them go,  _ "I can't risk anyone getting hurt,"  _ she thought to herself, bluebell eyes locked on the strange figure making their way down empty Parisian streets.  


_"What were they doing spying on the Agreste mansion?"_ She wondered, hand on her yoyo just in case the figure spots her and makes a run for it. She watched, observed, as the stranger's long, lean legs carried them to—

"D’Orléans? What—"

The stranger pressed a card down on a rectangular device in front of her school's tall metal gates; illuminated by the moonlight, its grand shadow loomed on the ground below and shrouded the figure in a cage of darkness before they swung open with a resounding creak, the figure passing through them and walked inside the empty, cobblestone courtyard. The statue of a rearing stallion standing tall and eerily in the centre of the grand fountain, crystal clear waters glittering with the light of the moon. The scene painted a rather haunting picture if you asked her, the dark-haired girl shivering out of both fear and the chilly breeze.  


She shook her head and took a deep breath as she stood up and walked closer to the edge of the building she stood on. Gripping her yoyo, she lifted her arms in the air, one leg lifted in the air, leaning back like a pitcher before hurling the red disk at the top of the school, the end tightly coiling around one of the two towers that faced the front.  


She pulled on the string once, then twice, making sure it was securely held in place before leaping off the rooftop and propelling herself in the air, swinging herself up onto a loose stone on the tower before peering down onto the stranger.

Ladybug huffed as she failed to get a good look at them, head swaying side to side as she tried to find a decent angle to observe them by. When her efforts were proved fruitless, she untangled her yoyo with one pull and lept down onto a windowsill, landing in a graceful crouch. She sighed in relief when she was finally able to spot them carelessly strolling through the cobblestone paths and iris gardens, eventually standing before a large, wooden door in a building adjacent to the main one where all the classrooms and offices were.  


Far too enraptured by the mystery of it all, the heroine failed to hear the shrill beep of her miraculous, four dots remaining on each red earring.  


The mysterious stranger opened their bag and scoured its contents for—for _something,_ making Ladybug growl again, unable to see what they were looking for and refusing to move from her spot. Getting too close would reveal her presence, and they might run off or cause a scene.  


_ Beep. _

The figure rummaged around their bag for a minute before victoriously fishing out a key, waving it in the air in cheer before they inserted it into the lock on the door and twisted.

A click could be heard in the dead-silent night, and with visible confusion in her eyes, the door creaked open.

_ Beep. _

_ "Where does that door lead to?"  _ Her nose scrunched up and brows furrowed as she wracked her brain, trying to recall the school's layout from the map in the school brochure Madame Bustier gave her, _"It can't be a classroom, since this isn't the main building and the library's at the other end of the school."_  


_ Beep. _

_ "Was it the headmistress' garden? Monsieur Sartre warned us to never go in there, something about ghost stories and blood roses,"  _ The dark-haired girl recalled, watching in anticipation as the figure simply stood at the entrance as if waiting for someone. Who were they going to meet? And why did they have to meet in school?  


_ Beep. _

Huffing in annoyance as they wouldn't budge, the heroine was ready to leave, yoyo in hand as she mentally mapped out the fastest route back to home, failing to see a dark figure creeping up behind her, failing to hear the rustling of someone getting out of bed.  


_ Click.  
_

Blood freezing like ice in her veins, she felt goosebumps rise on her skin and crawling their way up her spine when she heard the tell-tale sound of a light being turned on and following it was the crinkling of curtains being pushed to the side. Her knees felt weak and Marinette could feel every cell in her body howl and wail for her to _move—_  


The glass was pushed to the side, the window opening.  


She slowly craned her head around and choked back a shocked gasp at the person before her.

_ Beep. _

First, she saw green eyes widening in shock. Then, she saw a mouth opening in slow-motion.

With a final, shrill beep of her miraculous, and in a petrifying moment of pure, unbridled horror, she pushed a still-gloved hand over the other person's mouth, cutting off their surprised scream before jumping into the room and kicking the window behind her shut with a loud _"clack!"_. The two landed on the floor in a heaping mess of panic and confusion.

And in a flash of bright light, her scarlet suit disappeared, revealing smooth, creamy skin, pink, polka-dotted pyjamas, and a flushed, heaving Marinette Dupain-Cheng straddling a warm, solid body, her hands on top of a broad chest. Large, warm hands gripped her waist as panicked bluebell eyes gazed down into bewildered green ones.

She couldn't breathe.

The wooden door swung open with a thundering _"bang!"._

Neither of them could move from their...positions...even as a shrill scream tore through the already-tense atmosphere, "Monsieur Graham de Vanily! Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng! _What_ is going on here?!" the bespectacled woman from earlier in the morning glowering down at them, hands on her hips and glasses askew on her face.

_ "Oh my  _ **_God,"_ ** Her cruel, traitorous mind croaked.

Outside, unbeknownst to either of them, the mysterious figure watched on with narrowed eyes as they watched the lights being abruptly turned off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much to everybody who reached the end of his chapter! oh, and for the wonderful comments and kudos that this one received in the last chapter (*꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ) you guys are absolutely wonderful and I appreciate every single one of you (ﾉ)´∀｀(ヾ)!
> 
> UPDATE (24 / FEB / 2021): Chapter 3 will probably be uploaded somewhere in the second week of March, due to upcoming exams and actually having to finish those missing assignments Google Classroom has been haunting me with! I'm so, so sorry for this inconvenience and I'll see you guys as soon as I can! Thank you for your understanding (シ_ _)シ!

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think in the comments below or simply leave your love and adoration for this here author by hitting kudos (／≧ω＼). Thank you for reading up until this point and see you next time (｡Ő▽Ő｡)ﾉﾞ!


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